Machine for making food products



J. E. BIRDSALL MACHINE FOR MAKING FOOD PRODUCTS June 23, 1953 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 10, 1948 IN VEN TOR. Jam: [7 flaw/sail BY 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Jams Eflirdsal/ flTTfl A/FYS J. E. BIRD SALLMACHINE FOR MAKING FOOD PRODUCTS June 23, 1953 Filed Nov 10 1948 June1953 Q J.' E. BIRDSALL MACHINE FOR MAKiNG FOOD PRODUCTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR. E Birziiall BY M KW Filed Nov. 10, 1948 James Patented June23, 1953 James E." Birdsall, Bound Brook, N. J assignorto C. F. Mueller00., J erseyCity, N. .L, a. corpora 1 7 tion' of Delaware ApplicationNovember 10, 1 94s,seria1 No. 59,391

which product, aside "frornpresenting anovel and pleasing appearance,will not tend toadhere to the surfaces ofthereceptacle within which itis cooked or prepared. The term noodle may hereinafter be employed inits generic sense to' designate the product which--according to the.shape of the d iemay specifically take the a form of a macaroni,agn'oodle or any'related food product. I

A further object offthe invention is that of teaching a method ofproducing a food product of this type andwhich methodmay'be readily andeconomically practiced Samar large quantities of the product may beproduced at rela tively nomina1 figures.

A still further object istha't of furnishing a machine, the parts ofwhich will be few in numher and of ruggeddesign' to be assembled in theform of a unitary apparatus operating over long period of time withfreedom. from all difliculties and in its operation producing foodproductsof uniform and satisfactory quality.

With these and other objects'in mind, reference is had to the attachedsheets of drawings in which one embodiment of the invention has i beenillustrated and in whichi Fig. l is a perspective view of the end bly ofa-machine; b b

Fig. 2 is a sectional'view taken along the lines 2-2 and in thedirection of the arrows as indi- Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view takenalong the lines 33 and in thedirection of the a-rrows as indicated inFig; 2; t

Fig. 4is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken along the lines 4-4and in the direction o'f'the-arrows as indicated in Fig. 3;

i Fig. 5 isa face view of the top of the die and taken along the linesv5-5 and in the direction assem- "5 Claims. (01. 107-14) Fig. 10 is asimilar perspective view taken from a point beyond the rear edge or faceof that product. 7

Referring primarily to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be seen that thenumeral '15 indicates the rea-r'of the discharge portion of a mainmachine which serves to prepare a suitable mixture of material fromwhich the food product hereinafter described is to be manufactured.Secured to this part of the machine isa head portion generally indicatedby thereference numeral [6. This portion may removably support-bysecuring means such as has been indicated at I'l- -an assembly l8.Connected to the latter is a tube or conduit I9 and, if desired, a,flexible drive shaft 20, the purposes of which will be hereinafter de-lscribed. I 1

'As is well known to those skilled in the art, machines for'pro'ducing'a mix proper for the manufacture ofnoodles has been on themarket for sometime; These machines have usually included suitableproportioning controls and feeds andby means of which the severalingredients to be combined in the product are introduced into amixingtrough or other suitable part of the machine and in properly controlledratios. In this trough or receptacle portion, the ingredients aresubjected to agitation such that. a homogeneous mixture of evenconsistency is produced. I

In these machines the mixture is then transferred to a feeding-chamberwithin which the mixture is compacted. The material is .fed.

through this chamber or passage preferably by.

means-ofa screw such as has been indicated at 2| in Fig. 2. Thereuponthe mixture passes in compacted formthrough a passage 22 tea-feedinghead or cavity 23. I v

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, this:cavityor head preferably terminates in a flange 24 against which thebody 25 of a die seats. Below the latter, aguiding unit generallyindicated by the numeral 26 is disposed;

this unit also providing one partof a severing as-' sembly; Theunit'also rotatably mounts ashaft 21, the lower end of which extendsbelow its lower face and supports a blade .28 mounted by an arm 29secured to the shaft 21. This .blade. I in cooperation with the surfacesof the guiding. unit furnishes the complete severing assembly;

The blade is rotated by conveniently coupling. the end of shaft- 21.with the flexible shaft .20; it being obvious that any alternative formof. drive might be employed.

Interpose'd between the body 25 .of the die'iand the 'guiding'un'it .26is a:ring.30..preferab1y :form'ed:

with an annular series of openings 3|. Supported below the ring 30 andencasing the side walls of unit 26 is a channel member 32 connected withthe duct I9. A screening or mesh 33 preferably defines the side Walls ofunit 26.

The die body 25 is formed with transversely extending passages. In theirupper ends each of these passages may simply define a tube portion 34which extends to a point adjacent but spaced from the lower face of body25. These tube portions are continued in the form of slits 35 as shownin Fig. 8. Referring particularly to Fig. 7, it will be observed thatthe slits are wider adjacent one of their ends than at their oppositeend or edge portion and the side walls of each slit may be substantiallystraight and define with the adjacent wall, a tapered space. Thesepassages through the die are arranged in the form of separated groups asespecially shown in Figs. and 6.

The guiding member 26 is formed with partitions 36 preferably extendingthroughout its entire height. Intermediate these partitions, furtherpartitions 31 form a part of the guiding member. The latter partitionsneed extend upwardly within that member throughout only the lower partof its height to subdivide the material in its passage therethrough andto cooperate with blade 28. Both the partitions 36 and 31 havelongitudinally extending ribs 38 formed in their side faces. The loweredges of the partitions 36 and 31 as especially shown in Fig. 4 areundercut as for example at 39, to provide maximum guiding andcooperating action with the edge of the blade 28. A

In operation, it will be understood that with the ingredients properlyportioned and intermixed, they will be supplied by the main machinethrough portion I5 by the conveying screw 2| to the passage 22. withinthe head or cavity 23 and upon this space being filled the mixture willpass into the passages or bores of the die body 25. From the lower endof these passages the product will feed through the body of the guidingunit 28 between the partitions of the same and upon passing beyond theunit 26 will be severed into sections by the blade 28 in cooperationwith the lower edges of the partitions, 36 and 31.

As will be understood, the mixture, after passing through the passagesof the die, will be in the form of separate strands. Depending upon therate of feed of the mixture and the speed of rotation, of the blade 28,the sections severed from these strands will be of greater or lesserlengths. This may be varied in any desired manner but is preferablyachieved by maintaining the rate of feed of the mix constant whileincreasing or decreasing the speed of rotation of shaft 21. As will beappreciated, the greater the speed of rotation of this shaft andconsequently the knife 28, the shorter will be the length of the severedsections. Conversely the slower the speed of rotation of the knife thegreater will be the length of the sections.

As shown, the guiding unit 26 is disposed with reference to the body ofthe die in a manner such that its partitions 36 and 31 will be disposedbetween the groups of passages and especially the slotted or narrowdischarge ends of the latter. Therefore, none of these passages will beobstructed in its discharge of material by the partitions. Also, as thestrands pass through the guide 26 they will be subjected to a flow ofair which is preferably heated. This They will further compact air will,of course, pass through tube I9 and the interstices of the mesh 33. Itwill flow around and past the several strands of material extending fromthe die and will escape downwardly between the partitions and upwardlythrough the apertures 3| of ring 30. Therefore, the strands will besubjected to a surface drying action before emerging from the guidingmember 26.

It is to be remembered that the openings 35 providing the dischargepassages of the die are preferably wedge-shaped or in any event are ofgreater width adjacent one edge than at their opposite edge. This hasbeen clearly shown in Fig. 7. Also as shown in that view, the slits 35are axially offset with respect to the bores 34. As shown in Fig. 8,this is preferably achieved by having the lower ends of the bores 34reduced as indicated at 40 and provided with inclined faces 4| belowsuch reduction; an offset chamber 42 communicating with this part of thebore and having its side walls aligned with the side walls of a slit 35.The slit 35 being larger adjacent one of its edges than at the oppositeedge, it follows that adjacent the former edge it will offer minimumresistance to the passage of the material or mix. Adjacent its oppositeedgewhich is of less widthit will offer greater resistance to the flowof material through the die.

Consequently, with the material plastic, it will fiow with greatervelocity adjacent the enlarged end of the slit and therefore an excessof material will be provided adjacent this edge as the strands ofmaterial formed by the die emerge from the body of the latter. Such aresult is assured incident to the configuration and relative dispositionof the several surfaces 40, 4| and 42, all of which assure that acontinuous ribbon or strand of material will emerge from the die freefrom any voids or interrupted portions.

Consequently, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, a ribbon or strip is producedwhich has one of its edges 43 disposed in substantially a straight line;its opposite edge 44 being arranged in a curled or convolute, crenelatedform, due to the excess of material fed through the die passage adjacentthe point defined by that edge. Of course, according to the differencein passage width of adjacent opposite edges, the more or less the amountof excess material and curving which will exist in edge 44.

Incident to the curling or convoluting of the edge, it has been foundthat quite aside from any improvement in the appearance of the product,the latter does not tend to adhere to the walls of the receptacle withinwhich it is cooked or placed and despite the fact that any liquid inwhich it may have been cooked has been poured from the receptacle. Thisis because the convolutions or crenelations assure a spacing of thenoodle from the receptacle wall at a number of points. Thus, the wastageand annoyance incident to the heretofore existing tendency of noodlesand similar units to firmly adhere to the receptacle Walls is avoided.

From the foregoing it will be understood that among others, the severalobjects of the invention as specifically aforenoted are achieved.Obviously numerous changes in construction and rearrangement of theparts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention and likewise-without so departing-the stepslof the methodherein taught may be varied.

I c aim:

1. A food product forming machine, including in combination a die bodyto be arranged adjacent the discharge end of an apparatus to deliver afood mixture, said body being formed with transversely extendingpassages through which said mixture is to pass and by means of which itis transformed into strips, an apertured ring disposed beyond said diebody, a guiding unit disposed beyond said ring, partitions forming apart of said unit and extending longitudinally of the same, an airdelivering channel disposed adjacent said unit, screening mounted bysaid unit to allow of the flow of air into the interior of the same tothe apertures of the ring and strand-severing means cooperative with thelower edges of said partitions and mounted beyond said unit.

2. A food product forming machine, including in combination atransversely apertured die, a strand-guiding unit disposed below saiddie, an apertured side wall forming the outer surface of said unit,means for delivering air under pressure through the apertures of saidside wall into said unit, and a member interposed between said unit anddie and formed with a series of apertures through which air may flowfrom said unit.

3. A food product forming machine, including in combination an apertureddie, a strand-guiding unit disposed below said die, an outer wallforming a part of said unit, radially extending spaced partitionsconnected to said wall and converging inwardly to separate strandsformed by said die and passing through said unit, means providing arotatable mounting in line with the inner ends of said partitions andsevering means supported by said mounting'to traverse a path adjacentthe lower edges of said partitions and to cooperate with the latter tosever strands as they emerge from said unit.

4. A food product forming machine including in combination a dieprovided with a plurality of transverse forming passages, means forfeeding a mass of paste material to move through such passages, aguiding unit disposed below said die and including side walls formedwith apertures, a channel member connected to said apertures forsupplying air under pressure therethrou'gh and a ring interposed betweensaid die and guiding unit and formed with openings to the escape of suchair.

5. A food product forming machine including in combination a dieprovided with a plurality of transverse forming passages, means forfeedeing a mass of "paste material to move through such passages, a guidingunit disposed below said die and including side walls formed withapertures, a channel member connected to said apertures for supplyingair under pressure therethrough, a ring interposed between said die andguiding unit and formed with openings for the escape of such air,partitions extending radially of and within said guiding unit and asevering member rotatably mounted by said unit and moving in contactwith the lower edges of said partitions.

JAMES E. BIRDSALL.

References Cited in the file or this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberI Name Date D. 91,217 Ronzoni Dec. 19, 1933 D. 96,161 Cirillo July 9,1935 807,972 Splivalo Dec. 19, 1905 855,438 Ebel May 28, 1907 1,159,489Gammel 14 Nov. 9, 1915 1,355,731 Block Oct. 12, 1920 1,487,378 GigliottiMar.. 18, 1924 1,570,443 McSorley Jan. 19, 1926 1,592,769 Imparata July13, 1926 1,685,249 Tanzi Sept. 25, 1928 2,049,754 Tanzi Aug. 4, 19362,149,920 Kretchmer Mar. 7, 1939 2,463,112 Kipnis Mar. 1, 1949 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 313,736 Italy Jan. 4, 1934

